From Friday September 6, 2013 users wishing to play organised sport at the Old Football Pitch area in Hyde Park will not be charged for their usage whilst The Royal Parks undertake a review of the site.

Anyone wishing to hold organised leagues, matches and events at The Old Football Pitches will still be required to book in advance but charging has been suspended whilst The Royal Parks undertake a wider consultation for the management of the area.

A booking and charging system was brought in earlier this year in order to manage the space and demand for it more efficiently and promote fair usage amongst all users.

At the time The Royal Parks consulted with a number of users as well as placing information around the site and in park notice boards, however, following the initial consultation and points raised by some regular users The Royal Parks has decided to suspend charging in order to undertake a wider review.

Colin Buttery, Director of Parks and Deputy Chief Executive said, "The Royal Parks introduced modest charges for the use of The Old Football Pitches in Hyde Park in order to manage bookings and the area more effectively, promote fair usage and ensure that anyone wishing to operate a sporting event or league gets the opportunity to do so in an organised way.

"Although some consultation about the charging regime was undertaken prior to its introduction The Royal Parks has taken the decision to suspend the charges and undertake wider consultation before re-considering its decision. The Royal Parks has responded to the Letter Before Action sent by law firm Leigh Day, on behalf of the London Charity Softball League, informing them of this decision."

Details for the consultation and the consultation period will be released shortly.

Users wishing to book an area at the Old Football Pitches should continue to do so via Will to Win. No charges will apply during the current consultation period.